"Viazomai," because I'm a girl.
In Greek, "viazomai" means "I'm in a hurry." However, with a slight change in pronunciation, the same word can also mean "being violated or raped."
This play on words highlights the unfortunate reality that many girls and women face, drawing attention to the urgent need for change.
In honor of International Women's Day, nine accomplished women from the realms of arts and letters unite in a Video Art Project to voice the stifling societal pressure they experience, compelling them to have children, find a partner, stay young and beautiful, be successful, happy, and confident in their decisions, all before they turn 40. These women, like countless others, race each day to conform, to keep pace, and to please the world around them – with the hope that perhaps, along the way, they might manage to satisfy themselves as well.
The powerful message of this Video Art Project is singular and directed towards every girl today and in the future: Don't rush.
The prose:
(I rush with intent.)
Not now, Mom, I strive to break free; our chat can pause.
(I rush with intent.)
Deadline's shadow looms—succeed or falter in the trial.
(I rush with intent.)
When thoughts halt, truth unfolds; fear clutches my core.
(I rush with intent.)
Maybe undeserving to navigate life's labyrinth on my own.
(I rush with intent.)
Like you. Bide your time; I'll soon stand by your side.
(I rush with intent.)
In these murky moments, don't desert me in the void.
(I rush with intent.)
Escape consumes my mind; the truth now resonates.
(I rush with intent.)
Groceries on my list, an odd thought—traps for the unsuspecting partner?
(I rush with intent.)
Offspring, too, must come. "Too late," they murmur; I'll preserve fragile potential.
(I rush with intent.)
Time slips through my grasp. Laundry, meals prepared; an endless cycle.
(I rush with intent.)
Shall I fetch you later? I glimpse silver threads, driving wild like the wind, untamed.
(I rush with intent.)
Can you see? Can you hear? Maybe it's the distance or our tangled lives. Fear isn't always near.
(I rush with intent.)
Scheduled reminders—health and sight; our identity's fragility laid bare. What seeds this weakness deep within?
(I rush with intent.)
I've met someone... and what do I seek? Love's complex dance, for comfort, chaos, and soon.
(I rush with intent.)
I cautioned you.
Not just carried; it seeps into our being. This insatiable hunger. In the beginning, my gender tethered by a circlet's cold embrace.
(I rush with intent.)
What fuels this relentless pace, this fervent race?
For I am a girl.(